Spring plate



June 6, 1933. J. M. HALL 1 913976 SPRING PLATE Filed Nov. 6, 1928 Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES- PA IENT OFFICE JOSEPH M. HALL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO UNIVERSAL DRAFT GEAR,

- ATTACHMENT CO., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS SPRING PLATE Application filed November 6, 1928.

5 cars and the like.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of novel spring assembly for railway truck springs with new and improved means for anchoring and positioning the springs on the caps.

Another object of the invention is the provision of new and improved spring caps for car truck springs that are interchangeable and are adapted to be employed with q either the single or double type of springs.

Further objects-of the invention are the provisions of a spring cap for railway truck springs that is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, easily assembled on the truck, eflicient in operation, and that is not likely to become broken or get out of order.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a vertical section of the spring assembly showing the invention in position thereon. the spring plates being in section substantially on the line 1--1 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the bottom spring plate; and

Fig. 3 is a section on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 designates generally a spring assembly for a railway truck. This assembly comprises the upper spring plate 11, the lower spring plate 12 and the supporting springs 13 interposed between these plates. In the form of the device selected to illustrate one embodiment of the invention, the sring assembly is of the four spring type.

The spring plates 11 and 12 are duplicates of each other, and each comprises a plate which may be considered as a square plate with its corners curved to form the four springseats 14, 15, 16 and 17. -The curved portions are arcs of circles greater than 180 Serial No. 317,542.

degrees and slightly greater in diameter than the springs 13.

It is common practice to provide bosses on the spring plates for engaging in the ends. 5

of the springs for positioning the same.

This arrangement is objectionable in that several sets of plates are necessary to accommodate the different types of springs that are commonly used in this construction.

Small bosses are provided for engaging in the ends of the inner or small springs on the double spring type and larger bosses are necessary for engaging the ends of the large springs of the single spring type for holding the springs in spring plates.

The present invention seeks to eliminate this difliculty by providing means for engaging the outer instead of the inner eriphery of the springs. arrangement the sprin s of the double spring type as well as those 0 thesingle spring type will beheld in proper position in the spring assembly and there will be no necessity for employing more than one type of spring plate for each type of spring assembly.

Preferably the means for positioning the springs on each plate comprises an upstanding segmental flange 18 about the periphery of the plate. As shown, this flange is in the four sections or segments 19, 21, 22 and 23. Each segment connects the adjacent curved portions of the plates, that is, the adjacent spring seats, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing. Each segment of the flange has the curved portions 20 and 30 at its ends that conform to theouter periphery of the proper position between the.

By means of t isl corresponding spring seats. The curved portions 20 and 30 of each flange segment are connected by a reverse curved portion 40. The flange segments are so arranged that when all the springs are assembled between the plates each is engaged by two flange segments spaced degrees apart as will presently appear. i An upstanding four-sided boss 23 is pro vided at the center of the plate. This boss I has its sides 24, 25,26 and 27 curved to the same curvature as the ends ofthe flange segments so that these curved sides cooperate The flanges and sides of the boss engage the springs at three points, 120 degrees apart, thus efliciently holding the spring in position. The boss is preferably provided with a central opening 28 through which the bolt 29 extends for holding the parts in assembled relation. The head of the bolt seats in the recess formed by the boss on one plate and the nut within the boss on the opposite plate.

Provision is made for permitting the escape of water, dirt and the like from the plates. As shown, each plate is provided with the four openings 31 which are arranged concentric with the spring retaining members and coaxial with the springs, see

Figs. 1 and 2. The plate may also be provided with the four openings 32 beneath the reverse curve 40, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing.

Each spring plate is provided with projections 33 for positioning the spring assembly on the truck inthe usual manner.

When in assembled position each spring 13 is engaged at three points substantially 120 degrees apart by the curved portions 20 and 30 of adjacent flange segments and by one of the curved sides of the central boss 23, whereby the springs are positioned and effectively held on their respective spring seats.

While the spring seat has been described as being stamped from sheet metal, it is understood the seat may be cast or forged, if desired.

It is thought from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawing that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a spring assembly, a spring cap comprising a plate having spring seats thereon arranged in the form of a rectangle, the edge of said plate being curved to form arcs of a circle greater than 180 concentric with said seats, a segmental flange about the edge of said plate, each segment having portions concentric with two adjacent seats, a spring retaining member on the central portion of said plate and having curved faces concentric with said seats, the flanges and curved face for each seat being spaced sub.- stantially equidistant apart for constituting spring retaining means, said plate being provided with an opening adjacent to each spring for permitting the-escape of water and other foreign matter from said plate.

2. A spring assembly for car supporting springs comprising top and bottom spring plates, duplicates of each other, each plate having four spring seats arranged in the form of a square, springs between said plates engaging said seats, the corner portions of said plate having their edges concentric with said springs, a segmental flange around the edge of said plate, each segmental flange being in the form of a V having curved portions concentric with two adjacent springs, and an elevated part in the central portion of each plate, each elevated part having a side face concentric with an adjacent spring, each plate being provided with openings extending axially through said spring seats and with openings adjacent to the apex of each V-shaped flange for permitting the escape of foreign matter from said plate.

3. A cap for truck springs for railway cars and the like, comprising a plate having a plurality of spring seats, said seats being flat and unobstructed, the edges of said plate having segmental flanges formed about the edge of said plate, each segmental flange being concentric with two adjacent seats and having a reentrant curve, a spring retaining member at the central portion of said plate and having curved faces concentric with said flanges for forming spring retaining walls, whereby springs engaging said seats will each be engaged at three separated points about its periphery-for positioning and retaining the same on said seat.

4. A cap for truck springs for railway cars and the like comprising a plate having a plurality of spring seats, said seats being flat and unobstructed, a segmental flange extending about the edge of the plate, certain of the flange segments havlng portions concentric with two adjacent spring seats and spring retaining means rigid with the central part of said plate and having a portion opposite and facing each spring seat, each of said spring seats having two flange segments and a portion of said retaining means positioned about said seat and spaced from one another a substantial distance but less than 180 whereby a spring on said seat will be engaged at three widely separated points about its periphery for positioning said spring on its seat.

5. A cap for truck springs for railway cars and the like comprising a plate having a plurality of spring seats, said seats being flat and unobstructed, a discontinuous flange having segments extending about the edge of the plate, each of the segments having portions coinciding with a portion of the edges of two adjacent spring seats, and spring retaining means rigid with the central part of the plate having portions of its surface adapted to cooperate with the segments for centering springs on the seats, the cooperating portions of the central spring retaining means and the flange segments being positioned about each of the spring seats and spaced from one another a substantial distance, less than 180, whereby a spring on any of said seats will be engaged at three widely separated points about its periphery and positioned against undesirable lateral movement on the seat.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

JOSEPH M. HALL. 

